Improvement in manufacture of earthenware vessels



I 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. .7 R. H. KENT 82: J. A. BALDWIN, Manufacture ofEarthenware Vessels.

No.197,8 64. Patented Dec. 4,1877.

fl Hnesses Inventors:

, I zsheets-sneenz.

R. H. KENT 86 J; A. BALDWIN.

Manufacture of Earthenware Vessels. No. 197,864. Patented Dec. 4, 1877.

M I |1 l illllll I Wz'fness e S: frwerd-ors W 01% I ww/wm N- PETERS.PNOTO-LITHDGRAPNER, WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSELL H. KENT AND JOSEPH A. BALDWIN, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THEBUCKEYE SEWER PIPE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MANUFACTURE OF EARTHEN WARE VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,864, dated December4, 1877; application filed September 1, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RUssELL H. KENT and JOSEPH A.-BALDWIN, of the cityof Akron, in the county of-Summit and State of Ohio,have invented anImprovement in the Manufacture of Earthenware Vessels, of which thefollowing is a specification:

This invention has relation to that method of manufacturing earthenwarevessels having straight sides wherein the bodies are formed of sectionsof clay tube made by forcing the clay, while in a plastic state, throughan annular space formed by suspending within a circulardischarge-orifice of the receptacle from which the clay is pressed aninner die or mandrel of proper size and shape to form the interior ofthe crock-body, upon which bodies bottoms are subsequently placed by aseparate process.

The object of our invention is to form the crock entire before removingit from the press; and we accomplish this by supporting the mandrelwhich forms the interior space of the crock from without theclay-receptacle, instead of from within, as has heretofore been thecustom forming its inner end of the proper shape to afford a die for theinterior of the crock-bottom, and, when the body has been forced withthe mouth foremost to the desired length, arresting its flow, and, whileit is still connected with the mass of clay remaining within the press,cutting across the mass of clay inside of the inner end of the mandrelat such a dis-' tance therefrom that a layer of clay of suita blethickness to constitute abottom for the crock shall remain connectedwith the body; and by subsequently withdrawing the mandrel to enable thecompleted crock to be removed.

The machinery by which this operation is accomplished is fullyillustrated in the accompanyin g drawings, Figure 1 thereof representingthe press closed for the formation of the crock-rim preparatory topressing the sides or body Fig. 2, a section of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, thesame as Fig. 1, but with the under die lowered to permit the body to beformed, and the lower part of the outer die opened to permit the clay tobe cut to form a bottom.

In the drawings similar letters refer to like parts. I A is the lowerpart of a clay-cylinder, such as are in common use for pressingsewer-pipe,

supported by two posts, G G, and to the bottom thereof is attached anouter die, B, the lower interior whereof is of equal diameter with thedesired ware. This die is continued by means of a ring, 0, in two parts,hinged at the post G, and held together, when desired, by a lock, D,which slides on the post G, or other equivalent device.

E is the mandrel, sometimes called the inner die, which forms theinterior of the crockbody, of suitable diameter for that purpose, andshaped at its top to the desired form of the interior of thecrock-bottom. This mandrel is attached to a shaft, F, by which it can beraised within and lowered from the interior of the ring 0, and, whilethe clay is being forced outward from the main cylinder A, is heldrigidly, concentrically within said ring 0, by a pin, 1', in the shaftF, at such a height with relation to the outer die B that the distancebetween the plane of its top and the plane of the lower end of the die Bshall be equal to the desired thickness of the crockbottom.

H is a lower die, adapted to be raised and lowered from the ring 0 byrods I I, and can be locked against and form a tight joint with the ring0 by the hooks J and lugs c, and, when so locked, affords an additionalsupport for the mandrel E. At the joint between the ring 0 and die H theannular space between the mandrel E and ring O is enlarged by a groovearound the outside, constructed partly in the die H and partly in thering O, forming a mold for the rim upon the top of the crock.

In operation the mandrel E is raised within the ring 0, as hereinbeforestated, and fastened in that position by the pin i, the ring 0 closedand locked, and the die H raised and locked against the ring 0. Clayisthen forced downward from the cylinder A, by a piston or other suitableappliance, through the die 13 and annular space between the mandrel Eand ring 0, until the groove between the ring 0 and die H is entirelyfilled, and a rim for the crock-top thus formed. The die H is thenrotated by the lever K until unlocked, and pressure again applied to theclay in the cylinder A, which flows downward through the annular spacebetween the mandrel E and ring G in a tube bearing the rim whichconstitutes the crock-top upon its forward end, which rim, while theclay is being forced downward, rests on the die H, which descends withit, and forms a steadying-support for the crockbody. When the crock hasreached the desired length the pressure on the clay is stopped, the dieE rotated by means of the lever L, to smooth the inner surface of thecrock-bottom and cause it to part more freely from said die, thepinz'withdrawn, and the die E lowered until it rests upon the die H, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

It may be found convenient, for the purpose of facilitating theseparation of the mandrel E from the crock-bottom,-to provide it withupward-opening air-valves; but as these are.

common for similar purposes, it has not been deemed necessary to showthem.

The ring 0 is then unlocked and opened, and the mass of clay cut offacross the bottom of the die B with a wire or other suitable appliance,thus leaving an entire crock upon the die H, whence it is removed andthe operation repeated.

The same process may be practically accomplished by supporting the innerdie from above by a shaft, from which it can be disengaged to remove thecrock; but in such case an orifice of the same size as thesupportingshaft will remain in the crbck-bottom, to be closed by hand.

We do not claim as new the formation of the rim and body of the crock asherein described, as we are aware that that is already the subject ofapending application; but

What we claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of forming bottoms upon earthenware vessels, the bodieswhereof consistof sections of tube forced from a receptacle through anunclosed annular orifice, by cutting across the clay remaining in thereceptacle, while the body is connected with it, a suitable distanceabove the core which forms the inside of the body to leave a bottomthereon, substantially as shown.

2. The opening die 0, in combination with the inner die E, substantiallyas and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. The opening die 0, in combination with the dies E and H, arranged andoperating substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4.. The combination of the dies B E H and.

nussnnn H. KENT. JOSEPH A. BALDWIN.

In presence of- O. P. HUMPHREY, E. W. STUART.

